Food warming vessels, particularly the type used in the institutional trade for warming food in restaurants, cafeterias and other food service outlets, because of their large size and weight are sometimes difficult to remove from the heated well and carry when the vessel needs to be refilled. A 23-quart capacity food warmer when completely filled can weigh up to 50 pounds and can easily slip out of the hands unless some means is provided for assuring a secure grip. However, handles connected to such vessels make them more bulky and difficult to clean.
It is sometimes desirable to support the cover of a warming vessel upon an arm hinged to the vessel. A shortcoming of prior warming vessels that employ such a cover support arm is the necessity for mounting the cover support arm from the top of the food warmer. When the cover support arm is hinged in this way to the food warming vessel itself, the arm can get in the way, for example when the vessel is to be moved quickly from one area to another or when it is to be cleaned.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is one object of the invention to provide a secure and reliable provision that allows one to grasp and carry a food warming vessel with a feature which enables the vessel itself to be moved about, washed, refilled and replaced without a carrying handle present. A further object is to find a way to provide a support arm for holding and articulating the cover of the vessel so that the cover can be raised and lowered easily from a closed position to an open position with a provision that will prevent the support arm from being in the way when the food warming vessel is to be removed, washed, refilled and replaced.
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the invention will be apparent in view of the following specification and drawings which illustrate by way of example but a few of the various forms of the invention that are possible within the scope of the appended claims.